The One Ring 2e

The central mechanic of The One Ring 2e uses two types of dice; regular six-sided dice (d6), and twelve-sided dice (d12). When your characters attempt something that requires them to roll, you roll a d12 (referred to as your "feat die"), and a number of d6s ("success dice") equal to the relevant modifier. If the total of your roll is higher than the target number of the check, then you succeed! The target number depends on your character's attributes and usually ranges from 14-18. A 12 on the feat die is an automatic success, and an 11 on the feat die is called the "Eye of Sauron," counting as a 0 and triggering some negative effects. 6s rolled on d6s in a successful roll count as "greater successes" that can be spent on additional benefits.

The One Ring 2e hones in on three major components to adventures: journeys, councils, and combat. Combat begins with an opening volley for anyone who has a chance to attack with ranged weapons, and then closes in to close combat. Characters choose a stance to take, whether forward, open, defensive, or rearward, enemies match with them and take stances of their own, and then each player character gets a turn to take a main action and a secondary action, like attacking and switching weapons, followed by their opponents. Attacks target opponents' parry rating, and armor helps reduce the effect of piercing and heavy blows.

Councils are important social meetings with high stakes where a decision must be made. Typically, your fellowship of heroes makes a request, the person or group you are asking gets a resistance rating based on how reasonable the request is, and one character makes introductions, which determine how much patience is allotted to your council. Then, characters take turns making cases and rolling dice to accumulate successes within the time limit. If they get successes equal to the resistance rating in time, their request is granted.

And it wouldn't be Tolkien without an emphasis on journeys! Every member of the fellowship plays a role in determining how quickly the journey completes, what happens along the way, and the fatigue your group takes. Throughout, you'll track your characters' endurance and load, as well as their hopefulness, even against the encroaching shadow of Mordor.